(Edited: 30/06/2020)

Chapter 2

Harry's Point of View

Once everyone had stopped laughing at Percy and me (we still didn't understand what on earth was so funny) Lily decided that we needed to go to Diagon Alley for our school supplies.

I stared with narrowed eyes at the lit fireplace. Of course, Percy and I had seen our parents use the floo network before, but we'd never used it ourselves. Charles went first, stepping carefully into the flames after dropping his handful of floo powder into them, stating; "Diagon Alley," in an almost arrogant voice.

"Come on Harry. You're next." Lily smiled. I nodded, cautiously copying Charles. One minute we were standing in the fireplace at Potter Manor, the next we were moving quickly through a tight space, surrounded by darkness. I shut our eyes tightly in an attempt to prevent the soot from getting in them. I hugged our body too after grazing our elbow on what felt like a rough brick wall.

I tripped as I exited the fireplace at the end, but managed not to fall flat on our face. Charles sneered at us when he saw our bleeding elbow, but I ignored him, touching our elbow lightly, and sending a small spark of magic to clean and heal the cut. Charles' eyes widened slightly, but then he hid his surprise by regaining his sneer.

"Can't you even travel through the Floo properly?" He laughed nastily. I narrowed our eyes.

'I don't like him.' Percy stated flatly, mirroring my own opinions on our brother.

A small sigh escaped our lips. 'Unfortunately we're stuck with him,' I replied. 'You know, being blood related and all.'

"Charles." James had stepped through the fireplace now. "Leave Harry alone. As I remember you skinned your entire arm the first time you Flooed. Besides, I can't see anything wrong with him!"

Charles glared at the floor. "He cut his elbow."

"Where?" Lily had now joined us.

I trained our gaze on the floor. "Its fine, I healed it."

A small gasp came from my parents. I heard it echoed from behind us, and suddenly became aware of the pub-full of people staring at us. We were standing in a warmly lit room with the occasional wooden beam standing out amongst the numerous tables. It looked like something out of one of the Lord of the Rings films (Lily's muggle childhood had led to Charles and me watching several films...)

"Morning Mr Potter, Mrs Potter, Young Charles." The old man behind the bar grinned at our family. "Whose is this, then?"

"This is our youngest son, Charles' twin Harry. He doesn't like crowds much, so he usually stays at home, but we needed to get their school equipment today, so we had to bring him along." Lily smiled as she replied, the lies slipping off her tongue easily. Well, I guess they were only half-lies really. Percy and I – before we started being ignored – had never liked crowds when we were younger. In fact, we were feeling a bit uncomfortable now as well... perhaps it wasn't so much of a lie as a half-truth...

"Hello, sir." I greeted the Bar-keeper politely in a small voice.

Whispers broke out all around us, and Lily and James hurried to move us out the back of the pub. Percy and I frowned as we reached a brick wall. James didn't miss a beat, however, tapping it with his wand so that the bricks parted to reveal the famous Diagon Alley. I tell you, books can't fully describe the beauty of Diagon Alley. Small cobbled streets, with old-fashioned shops build in a Mock-Tudor style lining them filled our sight. Witches and wizards rushed about their business chatting and laughing as they did so. We grinned. This place was brilliant!

"Come along Harry dear, don't dawdle." Lily prompted. I ran to catch up with her, still gazing all around us as I did so.

'This place...' Percy trailed off. 'It feels like home.'

I nodded absentmindedly, 'I know what you mean, it feels like the magic is embracing us, welcoming us back!'

We eventually came to a stop outside a large marble building, labelled Gringotts. Inside were two rows of tables, with goblins sitting behind them, weighing various amounts of jewels, gold and other precious metals, lining a large cavernous hall. At the end was a high desk, with another goblin sitting there.

"Ah... the Potter Family. How might I... assist you?" The goblin asked as we approached, disdain practically dripping off his words.

'I take it he doesn't like our family...' I commented to Percy.

"We need to enter our vaults." James demanded pompously. Percy and I frowned slightly at him. No wonder the goblins didn't like him, treating them as lesser beings.

""That is, if it isn't too much trouble, Master Goblin."" We added in Gobbledygook. I knew that it hadn't been a waste of time to learn it, even if Percy hadn't agreed at the time.

The goblin's eyes widened at the sound of his native tongue before he replied in the same language. ""You speak well, Young Master Potter. I am Hoplink, second to High Chief Ragnuk at this branch. I do not believe we have yet had the pleasure of meeting...""

""Harry and Percy. We are delighted to meet you, Master Hoplink. May your wealth swell with time."" We introduced ourselves, Percy coming up to the front of our mind to share control with me.

Hoplink bowed his head slightly to us. ""A rare being, you are, Young Masters. It is unusual to have two souls... May your vaults never run dry.""

Lily and James stared at us in amazement as we conversed happily with Hoplink. After a short bow in farewell when another goblin arrived to take us to the Potter Vaults, we bade Hoplink a good day.

"Mother, what was that strange language?" Charles asked Lily, a note of fear in his voice.

We answered instead. "Gobbledygook. It is the language of the Goblins. Not all beings speak human languages, you know."

James gave us a curious look. "And where did you learn to speak it fluently?"

"The Potter Library has a whole range of books. It has at least five books on Goblin culture, as well as gobbledygook." We explained in a slightly bored voice. "You should read them sometime, they are most informative into the lives of our fellow magical beings."

""You are wise, Young Potter Masters, for one so young."" Our goblin guide informed me.

We inclined our head in thanks. ""But not wise enough."" We replied graciously. ""For one cannot fully understand another culture if they have not lived by its rules. I do understand, however, that my family have much reason to apologise for their bigotry behaviour towards you and your kin. Please accept our most sincere apologies on behalf of our ignorant family.""

""That is quite alright, Young Masters, you cannot be held responsible for those who think themselves so mighty."" The goblin laughed, a harsh sound that echoed on the rocks as we reached what looked like a mine cart.

We shook our heads. ""Please, call us Harry and Percy. Young Masters sounds too formal for what we are used to.""

""As you wish, Harry and Percy. In return though, you must call me Griphook.""

"Deal." We laughed, returning to English. The rest of our family were a few meters back, talking about something or another. We stepped into the cart, and waited patiently for them to get in as well.

'I like Griphook.' Percy grinned.

'Me too.' I nodded. 'He's a nice chap, too bad Wizards are ignorant to the disrespect with which they treat his kind...'

'Hmm' Percy hummed in agreement.

The rest of our trip within the Vaults of the Bank went quickly and soon we were back in the open air, with bags of galleons  in our pockets.

We just followed our parents as they circuited the shops, buying our text books, potion ingredients, equipment... When we reached the robes shop, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, our parents left us to be fitted while they went to buy us a birthday present, or something. We weren't really listening.

Madam Malkin was a swat smiling witch, who greeted us happily. "Hogwarts, dears?"

"That's right," Charles replied in his arrogant 'I-am-the-Boy-Who-Lived' voice, "I'm going to be top of the year."

Percy rolled our eyes while I sighed. "Charles, you can't know that. Besides, fame isn't everything."

"Huh!" Our brother snorted. I gave Madam Malkin an apologetic glance.

"Well, I have another young man also being fitted, so if you'll follow me..."

We followed the cheerful seamstress to where a white-blond boy was standing on a stool, his head held high in a way only the oldest of Pure-bloods were capable of. Charles sneered disdainfully at the boy, which both Percy and I noted with a strange sense of apprehension.

"Malfoy."

"Potter."

We sighed and muttered softly. "Nice to know we're all on first name basis."

'Malfoy' turned his piercing grey eyes on us. "And who exactly do you think you are?"

"We are Harry and Percy Potter." We replied. "His brother," we indicated Charles, before adding in a murmur, "unfortunately..."

A smirk lifted Malfoy's lips. "So, you're the forgotten twin. Severus is my Godfather too."

"Really?" A smile lit up our face, and a wistful feeling echoed down my bond with Percy. "What's he like?"

"He's a potions master." Malfoy told me, as if that explained everything. "Strict, but within reason – at least with Slytherins, that is. He recognises them as the best house. Fiercely loyal to those who've earned his trust... He's the best!"

"We wish we could remember him..." Percy trailed off, and I nodded in agreement.

Malfoy suddenly frowned. "You're talking in the plural."

A grin twitched at our lips. "That's because there's two of us. Percy and Harry, Harry and Percy. Born under the name Harry though..." A frown wiped the grin off out face.

"You're a twin-soul." Reverence destroyed any arrogance in the blond boy's voice. "Severus never told me..."

"A twin-soul? What in Merlin's name is that?" Charles scoffed.

Madam Malkin frowned at Charles. "A twin-soul is a magical creature born with two souls in their body. They often have incredible magical talents, having two magical cores to call upon."

"Draco?" An oily voice called from the front of the store. "Are you finished yet? Your father wants to get your wand."

"Oh, Uncle Severus!" Malfoy called back. "I'll be done in a minute. But there's someone I think you'd like to meet."

"Oh?" The newcomer inquired. He stepped into our line of sight, and the greasy black shoulder-length hair and dark almost black eyes and sallow face of the man seemed familiar...

"Uncle Severus, I'd like you to meet Harry and Percy, your other Godsons." Draco told him excitedly.

'Oh!' I exclaimed. 'It's Uncle Sevy!'

"Two more? I was only aware of you and Harry Potter." Severus commented dryly.

"Well, that's the name we were born under. But we were diagnosed as having dissociative identity disorder, and so we didn't get a second name, so we named Perseus ourselves." We explained, hope dancing like a candle-flame in our minds.

"Of course. Your parents were quite certain that you were just imagining Percy." Severus smiled. "It's a shame they didn't listen to you."

"Please!" Charles scoffed. "He's just doing it for attention."

The shop door opened then, and James and Lily walked in, followed by another man, who looked like an older version of Draco. James stiffened when he saw Severus.

"Snape." He nodded reluctantly, while Lily just stared emptily at him.

Draco-senior, as Percy dubbed him, smiled coldly. "Well, isn't this a touching reunion. I had no idea you treated your old friends so well Potter."

"Shut it Lucius!" James snapped.

"Gentlemen please! I will not stand arguing in my shop. Either stop or take it outside. You'll scare off all my customers!" Madam Malkin intercepted, her merry personality reseding for a moment.

Seeing as Percy and I were finished, as was Charles, we grabbed our father's hand. "Come on, James. There's no point in fighting, you'll have lost the argument before it began, let's go."

"Smart boy." Lucius commented, surprise colouring his voice.

Draco muttered quietly. "Boys."

"What was that, Draco?" Lucius turned to his son.

Draco swallowed nervously. "Boys. Harry and Percy are a twin-soul."

"Indeed." The elder Malfoy raised an arched eyebrow. "Curious..."

Percy and I didn't pay any attention to anything that may or may not have been said as we pulled our fuming father out of the store, quickly followed by Lily and a complaining Charles. Once outside the shop Charles exclamation drew our attention to the cages Lily and James were carrying. Inside the cages were two owls. One was a gorgeous snowy owl, and the other was a proud barn owl. Charles immediately jumped to get the barn owl, claiming it was more fitting for one of his status. We rolled our eyes. We preferred the snowy owl anyway.

"Happy Birthday boys!" Lily grinned at us. We couldn't help but return a small smile at the joy on our mother's face.

Having been fitted for our robes we next followed James and Lily to Ollivander's Wand Shop. The shop looked ancient, even without the sign claiming the store had been founded in 382BC.

'I don't think that shop's been given a new paint job since it was founded!' Percy sniggered. I snorted. It was true, the paint was peeling slightly and the glass looked frosted due to the amount of dust layered on it.

A bell rang out in welcome as we entered, and a short man with cheerful blue eyes and brown-going-silver hair appeared from somewhere in the back. The walls were lined with black boxes all the way up to the ceiling. In various places ladders were propped up against the selves to reach some of the higher up ones.

"Ah, yes. The Potter Family. I've been expecting you a while." The man smiled. Lily flashed him a smile back.

"Yes, well, we didn't receive the acceptance letters until today, so..."

"Indeed. No matter, no matter. Now, shall we start with the eldest? Charles Potter... Let's start with this, Hawthorn, dragon's heart string, eleven inches, rather whippy..."

And so it began. Wand after wand was passed to my brother until he finally got his wand of Laurel with a dragon heartstring, flexible, eight inches. This had been his sixth wand to try, and produced a few red sparks as he held it. We grinned. Our turn.

"Ah, interesting." Ollivander mumbled as he met our eyes. "A twin-soul. And currently sharing control, very rare, yes, very rare indeed..."

We tilted our head to one side and frowned, a mixture of both our habits when confronted with something confusing. Then Ollivander was off. The boxes he pulled off the shelves for us, however were different to the usual thin boxes. They were twice as wide, containing two wands.

"Shall we try this pair first? Ash, unicorn hair, thirteen inches, rather sturdy and Blackwood, dragon heart string, thirteen inches, whippy... No, no, no!" We had only just picked up the wands when they were taken from us again. It went on and on, until Ollivander had absolutely none of his paired boxes left. Charles just wouldn't stop complaining.

"Why is it taking so long? I want to go get and ice-cream. Hurry up already!"

"A tricky one huh?" Ollivander chucked, grinning ear to ear at this challenge. "Hmm, I wonder..."

Ollivander walked into the very back of his shop, coming back with two normal sized boxes. Here, this one's Holly, phoenix feather core, thirteen and a half inches, sturdy."

We picked up the wand. Immediately it felt as if hot air had swept over me, energy filling our body with a warm feeling of right. I beamed, though I felt no such feelings from Percy.

'This! This is the one!' I laughed, Percy laughing along as the echo of my joy running through him.

"Yes! Yes, this is good... Now, for Perseus..."

We stiffened at this, all laughter stopping. "How do you know who's who?" We demanded. "And how do you know Percy's name?"

Ollivander just smiled. "All in good time, young ones, all in good time..."

He held out another wand. This time I felt Percy filling with the same feeling of belonging I had just been filled with.

"English Oak, hippocampus hair, and, thirteen and a half inches, sturdy... interesting, these were some of my late father's work."

Percy and I grinned.

'Defying the normal once more, my friend.' Percy laughed.

'To defy normal that must first have implied we were once normal.' I retorted happily.

Finally, we were ready for magic. But the real question remained unanswered – was magic ready for us?